


infinitum

by Crazyloststar



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Secret Relationship, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28635147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyloststar/pseuds/Crazyloststar
Summary: ~I heard the news todayThat you're not mine to keep~***Luna traced the mark along Gladio’s ribs, the one that he didn’t put there with ink. The one that appeared when he’d turned twenty earlier that year.“Hey,” he turned, and she looked up at him with clear blue eyes. “Don’t think about that.”She smiled. “It is a reminder, to cherish you.”His heart skipped and he inhaled. “I’ll always be yours.”
Relationships: Gladiolus Amicitia/Lunafreya Nox Fleuret
Comments: 12
Kudos: 13
Collections: FFXV Book Club 2020 Holiday Exchange





	infinitum

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InkTail](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkTail/gifts).



> Happy holidays, ink!! I hope you enjoy this, it's my first time writing Gladluna, and i was super intrigued by all your prompts for them so i tried to mash a few together. 
> 
> Shout out to blue for taking a look over this for me and making sure i didn't botch these two 8D

Gladio hadn’t expected his dad would listen when he demanded he go to Tenebrae with Noctis and the King. He had thought it only right, that they both be there to protect them both. But his dad had been stuck on repeat, saying Gladio wasn’t old enough yet to fulfill his duty.

He wondered if the King had something to do with his dad’s agreement. Noctis had been injured, and Gladio hadn’t been there to protect him.

No one wanted that to happen again.

Noctis was a kid, sure, and a brat, but he was the Prince and future King, and would need Gladio. He wanted to prove his worth to everyone, as soon as he could, so Noctis would see it too.

Gladio also hadn’t expected that it would be in Tenebrae where he fell in love.

* * *

Her giggle echoed in the empty hall. Gladio pressed his lips to hers to muffle the sound, but he intended to hear more of it in his room.

He was boiling on the inside. Her touch was slicing his skin open and he fucking loved it.

“Gladiolus,” Luna whispered with wet lips.

“Ya.” They needed to hide, and fast. He got them into his chambers and locked the door before cradling her cheeks and kissing her again.

Luna wasn’t a saint - not like people expected her to be as the eventual Oracle and all. She had figured Gladio out quick, sorted out all his buttons and likes, faster than he had picked up on hers. And they both blended together so fucking perfectly, like a dream.

She was the one who made him crazy, who got him worked up to the point where they almost got caught, again and again and again.

Because they knew where this led. Their paths. Knew the gods would reveal their plan once Luna turned twenty-one.

Later, as they dozed on Gladio’s bed, sheets half pulled over them, Luna traced the mark along Gladio’s ribs, the one that he didn’t put there with ink.

The one that appeared when he’d turned twenty earlier that year.

“Hey,” he turned, and she looked up at him with clear blue eyes. “Don’t think about that.”

She smiled. “It is a reminder, to cherish you.”

His heart skipped and he inhaled. “I’ll always be yours.”

She pushed him onto his back and draped herself over him.

∞

“Lady Lunafreya was here for quite some time,” Regis commented to Noctis as they left their last meeting the next day. “Did you get a chance to speak with her?”

“Dad,” Noctis hunched up his shoulders, “she was here on business, I wasn’t gonna bug her.”

“There’s no bugging, she’s your betrothed.”

“Not yet, we don’t know that.” Noctis crossed his arms.

Regis laughed softly and shook Noctis by the shoulder. “Her mother has had visions that you two are to be wed; clearly the Gods will bless the union.”

“But -”

“Ah ah! Next time, please do make sure to meet with her, son.”

Noctis hung his head. It was in time for them to be at his quarters. “Yes, sir.”

“Good night, Noctis. Gladiolus, Ignis.”

“Your Majesty.”

“Night.”

Gladio followed Ignis and Noctis into the room. Immediately Noctis pulled off the layers of clothing as he walked towards his bedroom. Gladio went to the fridge for a beer that he kept on hand there. He would probably get a second after Ignis left for the night.

“I don't get it,” Noctis said with a loud exhale as he came out of his bedroom. Gladio and Ignis looked up from where they sat at the table to go over the next day's schedule.

“Get what, Noct?” Ignis was always so willing to entertain all Noct’s questions. But this one-time Gladio really wished he wouldn’t.

Noctis fell into the last chair between the two of them. “Why dad is so convinced that I'm gonna marry her. I don’t _like like_ her or anything.”

“Well,” Ignis said, as he closed the top of his laptop and sat back. “The Oracle is one who can speak with the gods. If Queen Sylva has seen it, of course His Majesty would believe her.”

“Ya, but are they _always_ right?”

Gladio took a longer drink. He wasn’t going to help Ignis out on this one at all.

“Their words always come true in some manner, even if it isn't in the most obvious.”

Noctis blew out air between his lips. “Sounds to me like a way to explain when they’re wrong.”

Gladio snorted. Ignis gave him the _please don't encourage this_ look. He just shrugged.

“Well, Lady Lunafreya will get her mark this year, which is the first step.”

“Ya, but I won’t get mine for another four years, specs. Four.”

“Sometimes the first mark reveals enough.”

Noctis groaned and rested his forehead on the table. “I forget you and Gladio are like. Weird romantics about this shit.”

“There’s nothing weird, we just both have our marks.”

“Ya, not like I know who my soulmate is. Might not ever even meet them.” He finished his beer quicker than he thought. He didn't want to get up and grab another so soon.

“Ya but. You can still marry whoever you want, right?”

“Technically.”

“But what about me? What if Luna and I _aren't_ soulmates?”

“I suppose that will have to be a conversation that is had at that time. But you shouldn't worry.”:

“Why not?”

“I am sure that both His Majesty and Queen Sylva would be amicable to an arrangement, regardless.”

At that, Noctis lifted his head and blinked. “Wait, to still have us married? Even if we aren't soulmates?”

“Of course, if that is what you both want.”

Noctis shook his head. Gladio felt like his heart was trying to escape his throat.

“I... I wouldn't want that.”

Both Ignis and Gladio sat up straight at that comment. Ignis leaned forward. “Noct?”

“If we have different soulmates, that's who she should be with. And me.”

“Noct, it’s not written in stone. Plenty have chosen someone else. And especially within the Royal families, sometimes the soulmate is not… ideal.”

At that Noctis slammed both his hands down on the table. Gladio hadn’t seen him this worked up about this kinda stuff before. Usually his crankiness was about school, or training, or having to wake up. “Not political you mean.”

“Noct - “

“I just think. We should know who our soulmates are. First.” Noctis lifted his chin. “Promise me.”

“Promise you what?”

Noctis’s expression changed in a way that he almost looked like Regis, standing at the throne, “Swear to me that you’ll find our soulmates first, before anyone mentions engagement. So we can choose what we really want.”

Ignis was clearly thinking through this. He looked at Gladio.

Gladio nodded. He had to. His duty was to Noctis. And damn if the kid wasn’t right, no matter how it impacted him.

Besides, it wouldn't end up that way, anyways. Even Luna had seen visions that she had a royal wedding, one that would only be reserved for marrying someone like, say, the future king.

“I swear,” Gladio said first, holding Noct’s stare.

“I swear,” Ignis repeated.

Noctis looked over them both. “Good.” His expression softened to something more familiar. “So, what's tomorrow like?”

* * *

For her birthday, the entire court of Insomnia was invited to Tenebrae to celebrate. Because of her status, her mark would not be revealed publicly, only to her mother.

Gladio felt sick as they sat at the breakfast table the morning of her birthday, waiting for Luna to appear.

He wasn’t ready for this to end. And he knew it wouldn’t yet, but Luna getting her mark was just another reminder that Gladio wasn’t good enough for her, that he was just a placeholder until she could get the proof that she belonged with Noctis, with a king.

Gladio’s role was always to be in the shadows, never to be alongside someone like her.

He would never say these things to her though of course. He loved Luna fiercely, and would be devoted to her and Noct for the rest of his life. He would eventually be married to someone his father approved of, would have a family. His children would be close to Luna’s.

His palms were sweaty. He put them on his pants to try to calm himself. This wasn't the time to have one of his spirals.

The door opened and the queen stepped in first. Everyone stood from their seats, and then Luna walked into the room.

She was radiant.

She wore a stunning white dress and a cape that captured her strong, straight shoulders. The dark choker around her neck showed off how she held herself. She looked like a queen, outshining her mother.

When Luna stopped, she blushed as she bowed slightly to the room.

“Thank you all for coming here today.”

“Happy birthday, Luna.” Noctis was grinning so wide.

“Thank you, Noctis.”

Everyone else cheered a happy birthday, except Gladio. And Luna looked directly at him with a small smile.

The festivities immediately began after that. Music echoed around them and everyone moved towards the space for dancing. Gladio hated all the stiff dances of royals on a good day, and this was a shit day. But if he didn’t participate, it would be noticed. And he didn't want to upset Luna. As they moved and changed partners, for the briefest moments Gladio would be close to her, and he could only do the choreographed moves and let a hand linger here, fingers dance across skin there. And after some time he stopped, because it just tugged at his heart more and more.

After several dances, they were all able to return to their seats so that toasts could be given, and food brought out. But it would be just a small break, before more and more dancing and revelry.

∞

It was a long, long day. Gladio was beyond relieved when the festivities were finally winding down. He was tired - not physically, but mentally. Emotionally.

Noct was right, he was a romantic.

And Gladio couldn't stop thinking about how he wanted to be the one who made the room pause when he danced with Luna, because of how perfect they looked tonight. But it was Noctis, still a weird lanky teenager, who everyone watched and whispered about behind their hands. Noctis tried to play it cool but he blushed like an idiot, and Luna just talked to him calmly and didn’t call out any of the attention.

Even Ignis seemed to be watching with dreamy eyes.

With everyone tucked into their beds, Gladio skipped his own room and headed out to the gardens. The lights were still set up, but all the tables had been cleared by the staff so he assumed no one would be back out. He sat on a chair looking out over the space.

He wished he’d swiped a beer or ten.

He heard footsteps on the grass behind him. Ignis must have caught on.

“Look, I don’t wanna talk about -” a bottle of beer appeared in his peripheral, held by a familiar pale hand.

He whipped around.

“Talk about what?” Luna had a bottle in her own hand, and offered the other to him again.

“Nothing.” Gladio took the bottle as he looked away from her and out over the empty courtyard.

“So you won’t tell me why you are out here moping on my birthday?” She sat in the chair beside him.

A part of him wanted to say no, he wouldn’t. A part of him wanted to pull her into a kiss.

Neither were good options; so he took a long drink of his beer instead.

Fingers traced up his arm, making him shiver. “Come with me,” she whispered. Gladio squeezed his eyes shut but then he rose with her beckoning. They both left their drinks on the table and she led the way, not once looking behind her to make sure he was following.

Of course he was. He always would.

He could already hear all the things she would say to him - they still had time, before this had to end.

But Gladio wasn’t sure if he could keep his heart from being put through this, knowing it would have to end. The saying about better to have loved and lost was the stupidest thing ever in his opinion. He would never tell Luna that, though.

She stopped at a large door and only then looked back at Gladio. She wasn’t surprised he was there, but she smiled as she opened the double doors into her room. Gladio had only been in there, once, back when he had first visited Tenebrae and he and Noct could visit with her there.

The moonlight shone through the large glass windows lining one wall. Gladio closed the doors behind him and watched as Luna stepped in, slowly removing her shoes. Her dress. Letting her hair out of its delicate bun and braids.

Her skin glowed in the silver light. Gladio wanted nothing more than to touch her.

She turned her head as she arrived at her bed, and motioned for Gladio. He stepped slowly through the room, discarding his clothes as she had, before stopping on the other side of her bed. Her back was still to him - Gladio assumed it was to hide her soul mark. Of course. She wouldn’t want to ruin the mood.

Eventually he would see it. But he didn’t mind maybe not seeing it tonight.

“Lie down, love.”

He obeyed, resting his head on one of the pillows and staring up at the rich blue colored canopy above him. The mattress sank as Luna joined him, and he felt her cool skin against his as she pressed their sides together. He inhaled deeply as her fingers skimmed over his chest, down to his left side, where the soul mark was. Half of it.

“Gladio,”

“You don’t have to -”

Her soft laugh interrupted him. “I forget sometimes how stubborn you can be.”

“What-”

Her hand flattened on his side. “Look.”

The urge to argue more was there on the tip of his tongue, but instead Gladio listened. Lifted his head off the pillow to see where their sides touched.

Luna’s hand framed Gladio’s soul mark - the circle with two tails, connecting to some unknown shape of his soulmates.

He followed the lines he had looked at a thousand times...and saw them continue on porcelain skin. The mark appeared darker as it continued on Luna, but the shape it took was the same as his own, mirrored perfectly.

“It means Infinity,” Luna whispered as her hand slid up to take Gladio’s right hand. “Like my love, and devotion, to you.”

All he could do was stare at the way their marks perfectly matched, like a ribbon cinched in the center, a symbol he had seen so many times growing up used in romance stories, in jewelry. And somehow, he had never imagined that would be his mark.

“I don’t understand.”

“You don’t need to,” she moved to rest on her side, draping across his body and resting her chin on his chest. When he looked at her, her eyes were watering.

His mind raced trying to process what this meant, what would happen, and as if she could hear his thoughts she moved up and kissed him gently.

He blinked at her and let a hand run up her arm, her shoulder, until he could hold her cheek.

“Infinity, huh?”

She smiled bright and wide. “And forever and ever.”

This time Gladio pulled her in for a kiss, and didn’t let go.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!! Happy to hear your thoughts. <3


End file.
